The Puzzle of Managing Change

Managing change isn’t easy - mostly because people become so used to one way of doing things, a change in routine can cause stress. To effectively implement a change, you have to communicate clearly before, during and after the change - whatever it is - that is being implemented.

Here are some ideas that I’ve used as a project manager to implement a change in an organization, while reducing the stress level and minimizing potentially destructive effects on everybody / everything involved.

Make Certain You Understand the ChangeYou will need understand everything about the change in order to clearly explain what the change is, how it will impact the organization and each person involved.

Have a Plan - Try Phasing-in ChangesEven if you have only few days, put together a plan that phases in new policies, procedures or responsibilities over time - the shock will be reduced.

Communicate Early and OftenKeep open communication channels while implementing the change and allow individuals to come to you with questions or concerns. Have open meetings. Network with employees individually and as a group to get their input on ways to effectively implement changes.

Clarify Aspects with a Group Training or Orientation Session
Find out what new skills will be necessary to properly implement the changes, and provide as clear a direction as possible. Make sure people feel comfortable with the new roles they might have. Start by creating a training plan on what you want to cover.

Be careful - it easy to over-communicate and create moe confusion. The best way to avoid this - treat the change like a project - develop an implementation plan and assign someone to manage the process.

Still have questions? Contact me. perhaps I can help you plan to implement the changes your organization is considering.